"Last year, thanks to you [Consumers] taking action, we won the right to have Genetically Modified foods labelled as such, and yet 5 months after the regulations were meant to take effect, very few products are labelled.

In the light of this, the African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) sent 4 samples to the internationally respected and independent GMO testing facility at the University of the Free State who conducted several thorough qualitative PCR screenings. The results are astonishing and disturbing.

Nestle’s Infant cereal, Cerelac Honey was found to contain 77.65% of GM maize DNA in relation to the total maize DNA.

Bokomo’s Wheat Free Pronutro was found to contain both GM maize and GM soya: 90.36% GM maize and 71.42% GM soya. This despite verbal assurances given to us telephonically by Bokomo staff that the product was non-GM!

Future Life Energy meal, an ubiquitous dietary supplement, found also at health stores and heavily promoted publicly as being “perfect for athletes of all levels and for high performance sports” is ironically, the only product that tested 100% positive for GM maize! It also contains 36.13% of GM soya.

Impala maize meal was found to contain 66.18% GM maize. This maize is consumed daily by millions of South Africans as an integral part of their staple diet.

Don't you agree that this is totally unacceptable? Food producers are being disingenuous in flouting the law in this way. We are being wilfully deceived and deprived of our right to know and to make informed choices.

The ACB is taking legal advice on the matter and intends to fully utilise the remedies contained in the Consumer Protection Act, to ensure that the rights of consumers are fully enforced. Watch this space as you might be called into further action.

If you are as enraged about this as we are, here are at least 3 things you can do.

Firstly, write to the Consumer Commissioner to demand that these products be labelled. Contact the commissioner at m.mohlala@thencc.org.za

Secondly, contact the Supermarket Chains and ask them why they are allowing unlabelled products on the shelves when it clearly contravenes the regulations. Are they not serious about our rights as consumers?

To make it easier for you to take action, here are the contact details for the some of the larger supermarket chains:

Thirdly, you can also contact the food companies directly, just to ask them why is it that they don't respect our right to know and just label the foods as Genetically Modified! The food company details are: